Shifting Future: Broken Present
by A Thousand Undiscovered Stars
Summary: Eclipse AU. What if Edward wasn't so understanding about Bella going to La Push? If protectiveness gave way to possessiveness? If all the anger and jealousy got to Edward and he finally snapped? Bella's about to find out and she's not sure what to do. And what about her developing feelings for a certain pixie-like vampire? Read to find out. Alice/Bella. M for Abuse.
1. A Rational Response

**Disclaimer: Twilight does not belong to me. All characters and material from Eclipse belong to Stephenie Meyer…**

**A/N: This story takes place during Eclipse and is Alternate Universe. The idea for this story comes from Chapter 6 of Eclipse, and begins after Bella comes home after sneaking off to La Push. Please note that this story will contain abuse and will eventually be an Alice/Bella pairing. That being said, if this story is going to upset you in any way please **_**do not **_**read it. Anyways, here we go…**

_**Shifting Future: Broken Present**_

"_Some things are more certain than others… like the weather. People are harder. I only see the course they're on while they're on it. Once they change their minds — make a new decision, no matter how small — the whole future shifts."_

_- Alice Cullen, Twilight, Chapter 22, Pg. 435_

**Chapter One: A Rational Response**

**Bella POV**

I took a deep breath as I headed upstairs. I knew what was waiting for me, and I knew that it wasn't going to be pleasant. I did find a way to dodge Alice and go visit a werewolf, after all.

I shut the door carefully before I turned to face my room.

Of course he was there. He stood against the wall across from me, in the shadow beside the open window. His face was hard and his posture tense. He glared at me wordlessly.

I cringed, waiting for the torrent, but it didn't come. He just continued to glare, possibly too angry to speak.

"Hi," I finally said.

His face could have been carved from stone. I counted to a hundred in my head, but there was no change.

"Er… so, I'm still alive," I began.

A growl rumbled low in his chest and gold fire flashed in his eyes. He pushed off from the wall and stood in place, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"Do you think this is _funny_?" Edward growled at me lowly and I frowned slightly, running a hand through my hair.

"No, I don't. Edward, I'm fine. I told you, I'm completely safe with Jacob. He wouldn't hurt me," I sighed in exasperation. "I'm tired of having this argument," I muttered under my breath, but, of course, he heard me.

He growled again, longer this time, and his eyes narrowed. "As am I! I told you not to go to the reservation, Bella! The dogs have no control, and one of them could quite easily become angry and phase – possibly hurting you in the process!" Edward hissed and I glared back at him, now.

"Edward, you can't stop me from going to La Push. Jacob is my friend and I have a right to see him," I reminded him firmly and he took a step toward me, his arms falling to his sides, his hands clenched into fists.

"Bella, you are not going to La Push. Do you understand me?" he asked furiously before his anger seemed to crumble and his expression became pleading. "I need you to be safe, Bella. I can't protect you in La Push and that makes me insane with worry. I need you to be safe. I need you, love," Edward said desperately, moving forward to wrap me in his arms.

I sighed, relaxing into him. I knew that it scared him not knowing what I was doing, but… "Edward, I can understand that, but… You have to know that I will go back to La Push. Jake's going through a tough time right now, and he needs me to be there for him. I'll be safe, I promise, but I am going back," I said quietly. I meant it. I could understand Edward's concerns but Jake was my friend and I wasn't going to just abandon him when he needed me.

Edward growled, and I felt his chest rumbling before he pulled back. His eyes, which had calmed somewhat after his anger dissipated, were like gold fire once more as they glared down at me. He continued growling and his arms moved from where they were wrapped around me to my upper arms and he held me tightly. "You are _not _going to La Push, Bella. I won't allow it. I can't keep you safe there, and I won't let you be hurt by any of those moronic _dogs_," he hissed, his hands tightening so that I was trapped in an unbreakable iron grip.

Now, I have never once been afraid of Edward. Not before I found out that he was a vampire and not after. I have always felt completely comfortable and at ease around him, something that he could never understand. He was always waiting for me to finally run away from him, screaming as I did so, but I never did. He would say that I had no proper preservation instincts whatsoever, that I never responded rationally to him.

But something happened now, something that had never happened before. As Edward gripped me tightly in his arms, his forceful hold keeping me from moving even a step away from him while he glared down at me with fire in his eyes and danger radiating out from him in waves, something which I had never thought would happen, did. I had a rational response: I was afraid.

"Edward," I breathed his name hesitantly and I was absolutely certain that my fear showed on my face, in my eyes.

Edward's eyes widened a fraction of an inch before falling closed and he took a deep breath before he slowly loosened his hold on me, eventually releasing me entirely and taking a single step backwards. His hand came up and he pinched the bridge of his nose while slowly taking deep breaths.

Once he had calmed down, he opened his eyes, which were tranquil liquid gold once more. "I'm sorry, Bella. Forgive me," he said softly and I looked at him hesitantly before nodding.

I relaxed fully. What was I thinking? This was Edward. He wouldn't hurt me. "It's fine. You were just overwhelmed. I understand," I said calmly and he smiled a little, but it didn't reach his eyes. And I could tell. He was calmer now, yes, but he was still angry. He wasn't going to give in, and he wasn't about to let me go to La Push.

"Thank you," he murmured quietly. "But I think that I should go. I need to let off some steam, and we can talk about this more tomorrow," he said evenly and, though I frowned, I nodded. It would be better that way. He would calm down and we could talk about it more tomorrow. I would just have to find a way to convince him that I would be perfectly safe in La Push with Jake.

"Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked and he nodded, smiling once more though his eyes watched me speculatively.

He seemed to hesitate before stepping forward and wrapping me in a hug, his cold marble body pressed to my warm soft one. I could have sworn I heard him mutter "You're mine," but before I could ask him, his face was in front of mine and he was kissing me.

Usually, mine and Edward's kisses are careful, gentle since he insists that it would be too dangerous if we were to get too close. But not this one. His mouth pressed hard on mine and his kiss was passionate, hungry as he swept his cold, silky tongue across my bottom lip. I inhaled automatically and his tongue slipped into my mouth, rubbing against my own. I was shocked, but not so shocked that I didn't take pleasure in it. I moaned softly and my hands came up to tangle in his hair.

Again, he did the opposite of what I expected. Normally, as soon as my hands tugged on his beautiful bronze locks, he would pull back and take my hands gently in his own and remind me of the dangers of him losing control. Not this time. This time he pulled me closer and continued kissing me until, eventually, _I _was forced to pull back from lack of oxygen.

I gasped for breath while he regarded me steadily, a different kind of fire than before in his eyes. Once my breathing steadied and my heart-rate returned to normal, I regarded him curiously. "Where did that come from?" I asked inquisitively. "Not that I'm complaining," I added jokingly.

"What? I can't kiss my girlfriend goodbye?" he retorted, his eyes narrowing infinitesimally, almost… defensively. No, why should he be defensive?

I shook my head, smiling. "Of course you can. So, I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked and he nodded.

"Goodbye, love," he said, pressing one last kiss to my lips before he turned and exited out my window. I shook my head as I watched him before I moved to sit on my bed.

I removed my shoes and jacket methodically before laying back on my bed. I felt like my head was spinning. This afternoon was… strange. I had known that Edward would be angry, but not like this. He had never looked so… threatening, before.

I shivered thinking about the way that he had glared down at me… Edward had never gotten angry with me like that before, had never seemed so _controlling _before. I frowned at my thoughts. Was Edward controlling? No… Well… I wasn't so sure anymore.

_It's just because he loves you. He worries and he wants you to be safe,_ a small voice in the back of my mind reminded me and I nodded, relaxing a little. Yes, Edward wants me to be safe. He just worries when he can't protect me. No wonder he was angry that I went to La Push, I scolded myself. Edward would never hurt me and I felt slightly ridiculous that I had thought that he would.

And then there was the way that he had kissed me. Edward never allowed us to kiss like that, for fear that he would lose control and accidentally hurt me himself – one of his greatest fears when it came to me. Still…

I shook my head. I couldn't just keep thinking about all of this. I would go insane if I did. But I did need to think about it. I just didn't want to keep going in circles in my head about it. Not that I seemed to be _capable _of not thinking about it. I sighed.

I didn't know how long I lied there, wrestling back and forth with myself as I analyzed Edward's unusual behavior. However, eventually, I became aware of another presence in my room. I looked up to see Alice sitting on my window sill and watching me curiously.

I brightened instantly. "Hey, Alice," I greeted her happily and she smiled.

"Hey," she greeted me, getting up and dancing forward to join me on the bed as I sat up. "I got a vision of you laying here and it seemed like you were thinking really hard about something. Care to tell me what's on your mind and why you've been laying here with a frustrated expression on your face, as well as why you didn't realize that I was here for the past five minutes?" Alice questioned, amusement and concern shining in equal part in her eyes.

I smiled and shook my head. This is why I loved Alice. She was such a good friend. She always worried about me and tried to help me whenever anything was bothering me. But I didn't want to tell her what I was thinking about. After all, Edward was her brother. Besides, I felt silly for getting so worked up about it in the first place. It was Edward. He was just concerned about me.

"I'm fine, Alice. It's nothing," I said sincerely and she looked into my eyes for a moment before relaxing. She knew that I was a terrible liar, so she could tell that I was telling the truth – or what I thought was the truth.

Alice's lips turned down into a slight frown, then. "Bella… Are you really okay? I know that you trust the Pack, but…" She shook her head. "I was so worried when you disappeared today," she whispered.

I winced. "I'm sorry!" I blurted out, hanging my head slightly. "I didn't mean to make you worry. I'm sorry, Alice," I apologized once more, glancing up and being met by a pair of tender golden eyes that helped relax me.

"Hey," she murmured. "It's alright. I was just worried, but as long as you're okay it's fine. You are okay, right? I don't have to kick any werewolf ass?" she teased, a playful smile on her face and a reassuring light in her eyes.

I relaxed, a grin crossing my lips as I nodded. "I'm okay, so that won't be necessary," I chuckled. She wasn't angry at me. Alice wasn't angry at me. I smiled.

Then, I yawned. It was still early but after everything that had happened today, I was exhausted. Alice smiled, her eyes softening. "You're tired. You should get some rest," she said knowingly. I smiled a little and took her hand in mine.

"Will you stay with me?" I asked, holding back another yawn as I spoke. I didn't want to be alone. More than that, I wanted Alice to be there with me. I always slept better when she was there.

Alice grinned, laying down and gently pulling me with her. "Of course," she responded as I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to me, laying my head on her shoulder.

"Thanks," I murmured, breathing deeply. I loved Alice's scent. She always smelled amazingly of honey and freshly-fallen snow and white roses. It was the most delicious thing that I'd ever smelled – even better than Edward's scent of honeysuckle and lilac and sunshine.

Alice chuckled quietly. I felt her hand running through my hair as I slipped into sleep. Her voice was the last thing I heard. "Sleep, Bella. I'll be here when you wake up. I promise," I heard the words as though from a distance far away and they echoed into the darkness of my mind as I fell into unconsciousness, a smile on my lips and my arms wrapped around a small, cold, marble-yet-somehow-still-soft body and a single cold hand brushing soothingly through my dark tresses.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: I didn't change much in this chapter, but there will definitely be major changes in the story. For any new readers, I hope you enjoy the story! For those who read my original version of this story, I thank you profusely for continuing to read this story. Thanks everyone!**

**~ Katharine**


	2. Fear

_**Shifting Future: Broken Present**_

"_Some things are more certain than others… like the weather. People are harder. I only see the course they're on while they're on it. Once they change their minds — make a new decision, no matter how small — the whole future shifts."_

_- Alice Cullen, Twilight, Chapter 22, Pg. 435_

**Chapter Two: Fear**

**Bella POV**

I stirred as I woke slowly, yawning as I stretched. I heard a light laugh from my left and opened my eyes to see Alice looking down at me in amusement.

I grinned. "Morning, Alice," I greeted her and she smiled. I was feeling better after having a good night's sleep. I was certain that I must have overreacted last night. Besides, it wasn't like he actually hurt me. He was just worried.

Alice grinned before leaning down to hug me quickly. "I'm going to go since Edward will be here in a few minutes, but I'll be back later this afternoon and we can hang out and watch movies if you want," she offered and I nodded.

"Sure, Alice. I'll see you, later," I said happily. I loved spending time with Alice, maybe even more than I enjoyed spending time with Edward. Sometimes, I wondered why that was but I just brushed it off. Alice was just so happy and… _alive_, for lack of a better word, that she could always find a way to brighten my day.

I hopped out of bed and made my way to the bathroom for one of my "human minutes" as I called them. Then, I went back into my room to grab some clothes for the day. I ended up just picking out a well-worn, faded pair of dark-wash jeans and a black tank top.

I was in the middle of getting dressed, having just pulled off the shirt that I slept in, when I saw them. There, exactly where Edward had so forcibly held me in place last night, was a light bruise on each of my upper arms – a bruise in the shape a hand. I inhaled sharply before hesitantly bringing a hand up to lightly brush over the bruise with the tips of my fingers.

At first, I almost wasn't able to comprehend what I was seeing. But when I felt distinct ache of blood pulsing below where my fingers lightly pressed, it started to sink in. Edward… had held me so tightly, so strongly, that he had left bruises on my ivory skin.

I stood completely still, feeling almost lightheaded as I processed this information. It seemed so absolutely and utterly inconceivable that if it hadn't happened to me, I wouldn't have believed it. But… He didn't mean to hurt me, right? Of course not, I reassured myself, moving automatically to pull my tank top on. Of course, he didn't mean to hurt me. Edward loves me. Edward loves me, I repeated in my head.

I pushed those thoughts from my mind and frowned down at my arms. Well, no matter what, I certainly couldn't let anyone else see them. I glanced around and my eyes landed on an old short-sleeved hoodie that I had brought with me from Phoenix. It was made of a light material and was a dark red in color – and it would cover my arms all the way down to just above my elbow. Perfect.

Just as I finished pulling my hoodie on, I felt a rush of cold air behind me and turned to see Edward standing in front of the window. I felt a rush of fear when I saw him but quickly suppressed it. It was completely irrational that I should fear Edward. _But what if it's not,_ a small voice in the back of my mind whispered and I shook my head. No. Edward wouldn't hurt me.

Edward smiled crookedly at me and I relaxed automatically. "Good morning, love," he greeted me softly as he moved forward to kiss my forehead, taking one of my hands in one his.

"Morning," I replied, turning to head downstairs, pulling him behind me. I pulled us both into the kitchen and released him so that I could assemble my usual bowl of cereal for breakfast.

I was just setting the milk back inside the refrigerator when he spoke. "Bella," he said, his voice serious.

I turned to face him, bringing my bowl to the table and sitting down opposite him. "Yes?" I asked before taking a small bite and swallowing it while looking into his eyes. They were stern and impenetrable, and to be completely honest they made me a little nervous.

"I just want to sure that we're clear on the issue that we discussed last night," Edward said grimly and I frowned, putting down my spoon and taking a deep breath.

"Edward… I told you last night. Jake and the rest of the pack are my friends. I'm just going to abandon them because you think they're dangerous," I said sternly, my resolve strengthening as I remember the pained look that I had seen in Jacob's eyes yesterday.

Edward growled lowly. "Bella, they're not safe. They could easily hurt you and I don't trust them to protect you the way you need to be protected," he responded sharply and I couldn't help it. I glared at him.

"Edward! You and your family are _vampires_. I accepted all of you and I love all of you – and I love and accept the pack, too. Are you sure that this is about them being werewolves and not just you being jealous?" I burst out and my eyes widened slightly at the hiss that came from Edward.

Suddenly, he was standing beside me and I turned to face him with a stern expression. I was surprised, and truthfully a little scared, but I wasn't backing down. Edward was my boyfriend, not my father. But I wasn't sure just how much longer I could hold out when he was like this.

He was growling lowly and he reached out to grip my arms in the exact same place that he had last night, ignoring the involuntary pained whimper that escaped me. "Bella," he said strongly, flexing his fingers around my arms and drawing another small whimper from me. "I don't have any reason to be jealous. You. Are. Mine," he growled, punctuating each word by giving me a small shake. "Do you understand me?" he asked coldly and a shiver ran down my spine.

"Y-Yes, Edward. I understand," I said, swallowing past the tears that were stuck in my throat. Once I had spoken the words, he relaxed and gave a satisfied smile that was a mockery of the smile I usually loved to see on him. Now that he had seemingly gotten what he wanted, he appeared calmer – as if nothing was wrong, as if nothing at all had happened.

I swallowed once more. For the first time since I had first started to realize that I was attracted to Edward, I wanted to be away from him. And that scared me. It scared me a lot.

Edward took his seat once more and gestured towards my bowl of food. "Continue eating," he said and I obeyed hastily for fear of setting off his newfound temper.

After the Breakfast Incident, the day passed normally – for the most part. We stayed in my room, mostly. We talked some and I read for a while with Edward watching me closely. It made me nervous.

Then, later in the afternoon, he approached me as I was laying back on my bed, having just finished the book that I was reading – A Walk to Remember by Nicolas Sparks. I looked up at him questioningly and my breath hitched at the look that I saw in his eyes, which were now black with hunger. Not the kind of hunger that would push him to follow his instincts to bite me and drink my blood, but the kind of hunger that a man held for a woman and vice versa.

He leaned down until his face hovered just over mine. "You're mine, Isabella," he breathed before his lips claimed mine, kissing me roughly, possessively. A shiver ran down my spine – but it wasn't the kind of shiver that Edward's kisses usually incited in me. No, this was a shiver of trepidation, of fear.

His lips were domineering against mine and he pressed harder when he felt how unresponsive that I was. When I felt that, I made an effort to kiss him back and he softened slightly. I relaxed a little as the kiss lost a bit of its officious edge, but I quickly stiffened again. Why? Because Edward's hand slid slowly up from where it had been resting against my side, not stopping until it lay parallel with my chest.

What was going on? Edward never kissed me like this. Never – My thought was cut off as I inhaled sharply when I felt his hand cover my right breast. A week ago – hell, 24 hours ago – I would have been ecstatic for him to touch me like this. But now, all I could seem to feel was a kind of nervous terror that erased any possibility of pleasure.

I pushed against him, but he didn't budge. He moaned quietly into my mouth as his hand began to lightly massage my breast, my nipple hardening automatically from the temperature of his cold hand despite my fear and utter lack of desire. I pushed harder against him and tried to speak. This time, he released me and leaned back to sit up on his knees. I hadn't even realized that he had moved to straddle my hips.

As soon as I was free, I sat up quickly and leaned back against the headboard. I opened my mouth to speak – not that I had any idea what I was going to say – but he beat me to it.

"Bella, love, Alice will be here in about five minutes for your evening together, so I should go. I'll meet you at school tomorrow, love," he said, leaning down and kissing my shocked lips once more before he became a blur, disappearing out my window and leaving me paralyzed where I sat.

What just happened? Edward had never been like that before, so rough, so forceful, so… dangerous. And I had to admit – I didn't like it. In fact, it scared me. No, it downright terrified me because he had always been so gentle and loving before. I didn't know what had changed, but I did know one thing: I hated it.

I let out a shaky breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding and shook my head slowly before part of his statement flashed in my mind. Alice was coming and would be here soon. My mood brightened instantly. I got up and made my way carefully down the stairs, proud when I didn't trip once, and went into the living room to start setting up.

The old blanket that I always used for times like this was already on the back of the couch so I just turned the TV on and went over to sit on the couch. Alice would bring whatever movies she wanted to watch and then we would be ready.

With my few preparations taken care of, I leaned back on the couch and closed my eyes. I was glad that Alice was coming. Her presence was always soothing and I knew that she would help me stay calm. I smiled slightly. I really did love my pixie of a best friend.

"You look happy," a trilling voice said from in front of me and I grinned. Speak of the devil…

I opened my eyes to see Alice standing in front of me with three different movies in her hands and a smile on her face. "Hey, Ali," I greeted her and she leaned down to kiss my cheek before dancing over to the DVD player and coming to join me on the couch. I immediately snuggled into her side and she wrapped the blanket around me so that I wouldn't get cold next to her body.

"What are we watching?" I asked curiously.

"Wuthering Heights, the 1998 version," she replied, grinning down at me. "I may not be obsessed with the story like some people, but I enjoy it all the same," she said teasingly and I laughed lightly as we settled in to watch the movie.

As the night went on, I relaxed even more, but every once in a while I would move one of my arms. The pain would then remind me of what had happened with Edward, and everything I was trying to forget would once again be brought to the front of my mind.

I tried to keep Alice from noticing, but I obviously didn't do a good enough job. Halfway through our third movie of the night, The Last Song, she finally decided to confront me about it.

Pausing the movie, Alice turned to face me with a concerned frown on her face. "Bella, what's wrong?" she asked gently, looking into my eyes as if searching for the answer there.

I grimaced. What was I supposed to say? _Well, you see, Alice, I'm really confused because your brother has been acting really different for the past day or so. He's really possessive and even out of control, all of a sudden, and I don't like it, it scares me. Oh, and he held me so tightly that I now have bruises on my arms that match his hands exactly, down to every last fingerprint, I'm sure. _Yeah… I don't think so.

Shaking my head, I sighed. "I'm fine, Alice," I smiled wanly. "I'm just a little tired, that's all."

Frustration flashed in her eyes and she huffed at me. "Bella, I know that you're lying. Please…" Alice's eyes fell shut as if it pained her to not know what was wrong with me, and I felt my heart throb painfully at her expression. "Please, Bella, tell me what's bothering you," she pleaded, and I had to look away.

I wanted to tell her. I wanted to tell her so badly, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I frowned sadly. "I can't, Alice. I'm sorry," I apologized, looking back at her, my eyes begging her to let it go.

She frowned unhappily, but she conceded. "You know that you can tell me anything, right Bella?" she asked me carefully, and I nodded. "Good because it's true. No matter what, I will always be here to listen to you, whether you like it or not!" she finished, in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood.

It worked, and I smiled widely at her playfulness. I really _was _tired, though, so I couldn't stop the yawn that escaped me. Alice's eyes softened, and she smiled at me. "We can finish our movie some other time, if you'd rather go to sleep," she offered and I nodded gratefully.

Ten minutes later, I entered my room, already dressed in my pajamas. Alice was waiting for me, sitting on my windowsill, and I smiled as I saw her beautiful she looked in the moonlight. She was truly the most gorgeous person I'd ever seen in my life – even more so than Rosalie, for all her appeal.

I climbed into bed and she turned to look at me. Her eyes lit up and she smiled so widely that I couldn't help but laugh. She joined in as she walked over to join me on the bed, crawling beneath the covers with me. Automatically, I reached out and wrapped my arms around her. Whenever she stayed with me at night, I held onto her like this when I slept. It helped me to sleep better, and I never felt more rested than I did on the nights that she stayed.

"Are you comfortable?" she asked quietly and I nodded. I couldn't exactly tell her that my bruises were hurting me – not when I didn't tell her about them to begin with. "Well then, good night, Bella," she whispered, leaning over to kiss my cheek softly, her cold lips lingering on my skin.

I hugged her tighter, burying my head into her neck. Alice had the most amazing scent. It was indescribable, really, but it reminded me of snow and warmth and vanilla. "Good night, Ali," I murmured sleepily.

"Shh, just sleep, Bella. And don't worry, Edward will be here in the morning," she hushed me gently.

That was the last thing that I heard before I drifted to sleep, but it sent a thrill of fear through me and my dreams were filled the Edward's harsh words, burning glares, and his hands roughly holding me, always too tight.

But eventually, the figure of a woman appeared that made it all stop. The only thing I could compare them to was an angel, I was so thankful in that moment that he was gone. As I started to sink deeper into unconsciousness, my last thought was that the person, the angel… she reminded me of Alice…

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: So, what did you think? I made more changes in this chapter than the last one. I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Thanks for reading everyone!**


	3. Change

_**Shifting Future: Broken Present**_

"_Some things are more certain than others… like the weather. People are harder. I only see the course they're on while they're on it. Once they change their minds — make a new decision, no matter how small — the whole future shifts."_

_- Alice Cullen, Twilight, Chapter 22, Pg. 435_

**Chapter Three: Change**

**Alice POV**

I couldn't help the smile that covered my face as I watched Bella fall asleep, holding herself to my cool body beneath the blankets on her bed. My smile faded soon, though. Something was wrong – possibly very wrong, but I didn't know what it was because she wouldn't tell me.

Bella had been acting strangely since I had arrived, but I brushed it off at first. However, once I began to notice that she winced every time she moved her arms, I knew that it wasn't nothing. It truly didn't surprise me when she wouldn't tell me what was bothering her – Bella was in no way the type to advertise her problems or ask for help, unless it benefited someone else, that is.

Even though I knew that, I should have pushed the issue. She was obviously hurting, and she would go to such effort to hide it if it was simply the result of her innate clumsiness. Of course, I never could deny her anything, so I caved when she refused to say anything. Still, I doubted that she realized it. If she only knew how very much I loved her…

Bella snuggled closer to me in her sleep, and I glanced down at her. She hummed quietly in contentment and I couldn't stop the purr that erupted in my chest. It felt so very good to be surrounded by her warmth and wrapped in her embrace, although I knew that I shouldn't enjoy it as much as I should.

Why? Because I loved her. I loved her with a depth and passion that, quite honestly, made my former love for Jasper appear as a puddle compared to clear, shining lake. That's not to say that I didn't love Jasper because I did. But both he and I knew that we were never true mates and over the last decade we've slowly drifted farther and farther apart. We've kept the façade up in front of the family, but we've been more friends than anything for a long time, now.

And then Bella moved to Forks… I grinned. I didn't realize it then, but that was the most significant day of my entire existence. At first, I meant what I said to Bella. I saw a great friendship for us in the future, a closeness that I hadn't had with anyone before. She would be a confidant, a sister in way that was different from Rosalie's and my relationship. And I was eager for that to happen, as I had seen it.

But then things started to change. I stopped seeing her as a sister and began to look at her as nothing more or less than the young woman she was. I saw her the way that I used to see Jasper, the way that Jasper used to see me. I saw how beautiful, how selfless, how giving, how… pure she was. And I wanted to see more. I found my eyes wandering when she would look away from me, and my heart gave frantic phantom heartbeats in my still chest.

She was incredible. She was slender and of average height – though, to my chagrin, taller than me as most people are – and though she wasn't graceful, her clumsy nature was endearing though I knew she hated it. Her long mahogany locks, ivory skin, and chocolate-brown eyes were all gorgeous and I could stare into her eyes or run my hands through her hair for hours on end if she would let me. And then there was her body…

I shivered and stopped my train of thought there, as the familiar guilt burned in my chest. Bella was Edward's girlfriend, and I knew how much she loved him. I could never disrupt that for my own selfish reasons. She deserved to be happy, but I knew that I couldn't lie to her forever. More than that, the greedy part of me was growing increasingly louder, screaming for me to take her as my own. I could make her happy, and she deserved to know all her options.

I frowned slightly. I knew that I should tell her, but I was so fearful of her possible rejection… I loved her so very much, and the thought that may send me away from her terrified me. Not only that, but I was terrified that her bond with Edward would prevent her from even considering any type of future between the two of us. It wasn't that I thought she wouldn't find me attractive that worried me the most (although I admit that I worried about that, as well). It was the thought that she may not even give me a chance.

But I knew that I was being irrational. No matter what may happen, Bella deserved to know my true feelings. And I would tell her… Tomorrow. Yes, I thought with a mixture of relief and anxiety. Tomorrow, I would tell Bella how I really felt. I would tell her how much I loved her and then it would be up to her where we went from there…

A whimper interrupted my thoughts, and my eyes flashed to the sleeping girl in my arms. Bella began to move in her sleep, restless and pained murmurs escaping her lips. I inhaled sharply in concern, unsure if I should wake her or not. After a brief moment of indecision, I decided that it would be best to try and soothe her as she slept.

"Hush, Bella… It's alright. I'm here. I'm here, and I won't let anything hurt you," I shushed her gently, holding her protectively in my arms. Her breathing sped up and she clutched herself to me in her sleep. "I'm right here, Bella. You're safe. You're safe. I love you, Bella," I whispered gently. She seemed to relax after that, though I watched her carefully just to be sure that she was alright. I would hold her there forever, if I could.

Unfortunately, the hours passed all too quickly, and I soon found myself slipping away from the comfort of my secret love's embrace. Reflexively, I checked her immediate future, and I was both pleased and surprised to find that Edward would _not _be picking Bella up for school that particular morning.

So, naturally, I decided to make the most of it. I hummed near-silently to myself as I skipped over to Bella's closet. She was so stubborn about her dislike of fashion that I rarely got the opportunity to dress her the way that I wanted to, but I decided that I would compromise with her this morning.

Rather than pull out something that she would deem "unacceptable", I chose to simply work with what she did like. That being said, I knew that anything pink, revealing, or containing ruffles would be rejected – I didn't need to use my power to know that one. Finally, I managed to find a happy medium with a pair of dark blue denim jeans, a black tank top, and a nice, white button-up with sleeves that rolled up to her elbow, all of which was to be topped off with a simple black leather jacket that I knew Bella would love.

Satisfied, I curled back up on the bed next to Bella, listening as Charlie got ready and went downstairs to have his coffee, before leaving to go to the station. Once he was gone, I lightly pecked the sleeping human girl on the cheek and rushed downstairs, a wide smile on my face. Even knowing how much as she hated surprises, I just couldn't resist this opportunity.

Bella wouldn't expect me to be here this morning, so I was going to surprise her with breakfast in bed. Still, as happy as I was to cook the revolting human food for the woman I loved, it didn't make the smell any more appealing. Well, at least Bella seemed to enjoy the taste of it, although it didn't look very appetizing to me.

I was so absorbed in making everything perfect that I didn't realize that she was awake, until I entered her room with the breakfast tray in my hands. Instantly, Bella's head whipped around to face me, her eyes wide with terror. As soon as she saw that it was me, though, she began to relax and a weak smile flashed across her face.

She didn't fool me, though. As I placed the tray on her dresser, I noticed – with no small amount of distress – my friend's arms wrapping loosely around her chest, a position I recognized from the dreadful days following my return to Forks after the horrifying vision in which I watched Bella leap from a cliff into a storm. I didn't know what it was that she was hiding from me, but my instincts, my entire being, and my common sense were all screaming at me to find out what it was.

"Bella," I spoke soothingly, slowly crossing the room to sit next to her. "What's wrong?"

Her teeth clenched together, and she shook her head stubbornly. "I can't, Alice." Bella's voice broke, and it made my heart ache to hear her pain. She suddenly launched herself at me, and I caught her gently to lessen the blow as she crashed into my stony body.

I opened my mouth to say something, but she seemed to sense it because she shook her head against my shoulder, a clear plea for me to remain silent. So, I just held her in my arms, waiting anxiously as her breathing steadied and became calm once more.

When she pulled back, I looked into Bella's eyes worriedly, and she managed a real – though small – smile. "I'm okay now, Alice. I was just…" she trailed off helplessly. "I just really needed that," she admitted softly.

I bit my lip softly. Logically, I knew that I should confront her about what was disturbing her so much, but… Looking into her eyes and seeing the quiet desperation there, her pleading for me to let it go… I couldn't deny her. "Alright," I conceded. "Just… promise me that you'll talk to me about it soon?" I requested, looking deep into her troubled chocolate eyes.

A hint of pain entered those loving orbs I knew so well, but she nodded. "Of course, Alice," she murmured softly before she seemed to take note of something behind me. "Did you make me breakfast?" she asked quietly, a small smile playing on her lips.

I grinned widely and bounded over to the previously forgotten-about tray, grabbing it and carefully bringing it to her. "I did, actually. Charlie's gone already, and it's just us this morning so…" I trailed off with a shrug, feeling somehow anxious to know whether she liked it or not.

Bella picked up her fork and took a bite, a soft moan leaving her lips and sending a shudder down my spine. "It's delicious, Ali," she grinned at me, leaning over to peck me on the cheek. "Thank you," she murmured, and I struggled to form a response.

The best I could manage was a smile, and it stayed while I watched her eat the meal that I made for her, pride welling up from within me. But then my nerves returned with renewed force. Nothing would ever be the same again after today. I could lose everything in less than twenty-four hours… Today, I was going to tell her about my feelings. Today, I had to confess. And… today, I could lose her.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Hey everyone! So sorry about the wait – too much going on and not enough time to get it all done, unfortunately. Sadly, I will not be able to update soon, but I'll try to keep it within the next month. Once again, I want to thank everyone who is taking the time to read this story after reading the original. A good chunk of this chapter is from that version, but a lot of it is new material so I hope you enjoyed! So, thanks for reading everyone! Until next time!**

**- Katharine**


	4. Notice

**A/N: Okay, I would first like to apologize for how long this has taken me. A lot has been going on, and life has just been getting in the way lately. So, I've decided that, in the interest of being able to update at all, I will be working on and completing only one of my stories at a time. I'm not sure yet in what order I'll work on them, but I have decided to finish up my story Violent Delights, Violent Ends first. Just in case you didn't know, you can access that story in a Google Drive using the email I created specifically for that purpose, athousandundiscoveredstars gmail, and the password, twilight2013. Once again, I apologize, but this and all of my other stories will be completed - I simply don't have the time or the necessary motivation at the moment to work on them all at once. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me, as this "chapter" will be deleted and replaced by the new chapter when I return to working on this story. Thanks for reading, everyone, and I hope you'll be patient with me.**

**~ Katharine**


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